Most B2B proof-of-concept projects fail not because the technology doesn't work, but because no one validated whether the client was willing to bear the internal cost of solving the problem they just discovered.

Your POC worked perfectly. The technology performed. The data confirmed your hypothesis. The client nodded along in the final presentation.

And then nothing happened.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. After working with dozens of B2B startups navigating enterprise sales cycles, I've observed a pattern so consistent it deserves a name: the Successful Failure.

The POC technically succeeds. The commercial outcome fails. And founders are left wondering what went wrong.

Here's what went wrong: you validated the wrong thing.

Whether you're a founder preparing for your next raise, a scaleup leader trying to crack sustainable growth, or a PE firm evaluating an acquisition—there's a good chance you're measuring the wrong things.

CAC. CLV. ROAS. Conversion rates. Retention.

These metrics feel rigorous. Investors ask for them. Boards track them. They fit neatly into financial models and pitch decks.

But they're built on a flawed assumption: that brands grow primarily through customer loyalty and retention.

They don't.